Pub Names

It used to be that all establishments hung a sign outside - after all, most people couldn't read. That tradition is still retained for the pub, and their sometimes curious names have fascinating backgrounds. The Nag's Head possibly dates back to a time when smugglers and pirats would lead a horse with a lantern on a high point to show their seabound colleagues it was safe to dock. Or maybe, it's a reference to a nagging wife, who knows.